Ubisoft has expressed confidence in the preorder performance of its upcoming open-world adventure, Assassin's Creed Shadows, despite facing challenges during its development and promotional phases. According to the company's recent financial report, "preorders for the game are tracking solidly, in line with those of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, the second most successful entry in the franchise."
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot remains optimistic, emphasizing the company's focus on the game's launch scheduled for March 20. "Early previews have been positive, praising its narrative and immersive experience, with both characters playing critical roles in the game’s storyline, as well as the quality and complementarity of the gameplay provided by the dual protagonist approach," Guillemot stated. He also praised the dedication of the Assassin's Creed team, saying, "I want to commend the incredible talent and dedication of the entire Assassin’s Creed team, who is working tirelessly to ensure that Shadows delivers on the promise of what is the franchise’s most ambitious entry yet."
Assassin's Creed Shadows faced multiple delays, initially planned for a November release, then shifted to February 14, and finally rescheduled to March 20. The game holds significant importance for Ubisoft, not only as the much-anticipated Japan-set entry and the first full Assassin's Creed game since 2020, but also as a crucial title that the struggling publisher hopes will perform well amidst recent flops and investor discontent.
Despite these high expectations, the game's promotional period has been marred by controversies. The development team issued apologies for inaccuracies in the depiction of Japan and for using a historical recreation group's flag without permission. Additionally, collectible figure maker PureArts had to pull an Assassin's Creed Shadows statue from sale due to its "insensitive" design. These issues, coupled with the delays, have led to growing impatience among fans.
